Child&#39;s wheeled pneumatic toy



April 13, 1954 l J MQRSCH 2,674,989

CHILDS WHEELED PNEUMATIC TOY Filed March 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR. first J. W5C

April 3. 1954 J. J. MORSCH 2,674,989

CHILDS WHEELED PNEUMATIC TOY Filed March 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 13, 1954 J. J. MORSCH CHILD'S WHEEL-ED PNEUMATIC TOY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1952 dbl Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CI-IILDS WHEELED PNEUMATIC TOY Jesse J. Morsch, Douglas, Wyo.

Application March 28, 1952, Serial No. 279,075

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanical toy, and has for its principal object the provision of a wheeled toy which, when pushed or pulled, will develop air pressure, and which can be used to fire a toy cannon and selectively operate other. air-operated devices, such as a toy fiagman, a

flying flag, a firing indicator, etc.

A further object is to provide a spring-loaded air reservoir which will automatically regulate the air pressure to any desired degree and pro- Fig. 3 is a top view thereof; it? i Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail, enlarged section, taken 'on the line 5-5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 1-1, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-section, taken on the line 8-8,

Fig. 3.

The improved mechanical toy consists of an inverted, pan-shaped housing It mounted on a drive wheel ii, an idler wheel I2, and a trailing wheel 13. The housing is provided with a suitable handle socket Bl for receiving a handle .643

The bottom of the housing It is partially closed by means of a U-shaped bottom plate 14 secured therein adjacent one extremity thereof in any desired manner. The bottom plate l4 supports wheel brackets l5 carrying an axle l6 for the idler wheel I2 and bearings H for rotatably supporting a driving axle I8 in alignment with the axle IS.

The driving axle l8 terminates in a crank disc [9 provided with a plurality of threaded crankreceiving openings 2t into any one of which a crank pin 2! may be threaded. A crank fitting 22 is mounted on the crank pin 2!. The fitting 22 is mounted on a pump piston rod 23 operating in a reciprocating pump cylinder 24. The pump 'mounted on the housing l0.

2 cylinder 24 is tiltably mounted on a pump shaft 25 extending across the forward extremity of the housing ID.

The air pumped by the pump cylinder 24 is conducted through a conventional check valve 82 and through a feed tube 26 to a cylindrical air reservoir 21. An open-ended, cylindrical sleeve 28 extends through one extremity of the reservoir 21. A plunger 29 is slidably mounted in the sleeve 28 upon a plunger rod 30 which is connected with an actuating lever 3! projecting from a cross shaft 32 extending across the housing it). A spring lever 33 also extends radially from the cross shaft 32, to which an elongated extremity on a tension spring 34 is connected. The other extremity of the tension spring 34 is attached to a tension-adjusting screw 35 extending through one extremity of the housing H) by means of which the tension in the spring 34, and the pressure in the reservoir 21, may be adjusted.

It can be seen that as the pressure of the air in the reservoir 21 increases, it will act to force the plunger 29 outwardly in the sleeve 28 so as to rotate the cross shaft 32 against the resistance of the tension spring 34. When the plunger reaches a predetermined point, it will uncover a safety port 83, allowing any additional air to escape to the atmosphere. I

The rotative movement of the cross shaft 32 is utilized to raise an arm 36 of a signal man 37 The signal man consists of two cut-out sheet metal sheets arranged in parallel relation and supporting an arm pivot pin 38, to which the arm 36 is secured. An arm lever 39 projects from the pin 38 and is connected by means of a connecting wire 40 with an arm-actuating lever A! mounted on a counter-shaft 43, which is rotated from an actuating lever 85 afiixed to the cross shaft 32 through the medium of a connecting rod 44.

"Thus, as the air pressure increases in the reser voir, the arm of the signal man will slowly raise to display a firing flag 42.

A firing indicator casing is mounted on the housing 1B enclosing a rotatable indicator drum 45 mounted therein and. visible through a window 41. The drum 46 carries suitable indications, such as Load, Aim, and Fire, which are exposed through the window 4'! as the drum 46 rotates. The drum is rotated through the medium of a connecting link 48 extending to a'drum lever s?! projecting from the cross shaft 32. Thus, it can be seen that as the pressure builds up in the reservoir, the drum will be rotated. to selectively display the indications thereon.

A tubular gun barrel 50 is mounted. to swing in a vertical plane between two pipe-supporting standards Air is conducted to one or both the standards 5| through the medium of a gun hose 52 leading directly from the air reservoir 21. The air flows into an air chamber 53 in the rear of the barrel. A valve seat 54, closed by a disc valve 55, prevents the air from entering the barrel 50. The valve 55 is constantly urged to its seat '54.:by a spring56 surroundinga valve stem 51 projecting --from the valve-through a packing gland 58 on the rear of the barrel 50.

It can be seen that when the valve stem 51 is pulled rearwardly, the entire air supply of the reservoir will flow past the valve 50 to force any desired projectile, such as indicatedat 59,.from the barrel. The valve stem 5'! may be pulled rearwardly through the medium of a trigger lever 60 to which a flexible cord 61 is connected. The cord 6| extends over suitable guide pulleys 62 and through aguidetube 63 upwardly along the handle, 64, terminating in a slack-removing spring 65 connected to a cross piece 80 on the handle 64. The string is provided with a finger grip bead 66 .to'afiord'a better finger grip.

The vertical firing angle of the gunbarrel can be adjusted by means of a crank 57 mounted on a crank shaft68 extending between brackets 69 supported from the two pipe standards 5|. The crank shaft =68 carries a suitable toothed gear vl0 whichengages anarcuate gear segment H mounted below the gun barrel i5.

A hollow, tubular fiagstaii 72 is mounted on the housing I0 and supports a flag 73 of lightweight, flexible material, such as silk or the like.

Two L-shaped' nozzles 74 project from the flagstan? 12 toward andat each side of the flag 13. The lower extremity-of the fiagstafi i2 is connected by -means ofa flexible hose 75 withthe reservoir 2 1.

- The hose 7-5 passes through a hose valve yoke IS-having-asliding hose clamp ll-which is urged by a spring (i l to norm-ally squeeze'the hose closed to 'preventai from passing therethrough. The clamp l 'i may be pulled away from the hose by means ofa second ,cord 78 which extends from the housing i0 through a second guide tube 19 and terminates on the handle 54in a beadand spring similar-to the beadBS and the spring 65 previously described.

It can 'ybereadil-y seen that as the cord 18 is drawn upon, it will allow air to flow from the reservoir; through the hose 75, flagstaff 72 and nozzles -14, to provide air jets against-the opposite faces of the flag to create a "life-like, waving motion therein.

If it is desired to adjust the pump to more rapidly fill the reservoir, the crank pin 2 I -may be I movedto one of the pin openings zfl-further' from theaxisofthedisc I 9.

xW-h-ile a specific form of the improvement has "been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within 'thescope ofthe appended claims, without departing'f-rom the spirit of the invention.

' Having thus described the invention, what is ,-claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 1 1. A wheeled toy comprising: a body housing;

nected with and operable from one of said wheels;

' plunger in the other direction; a gun barrel wheels supporting'said housing; an air-pumping :mechanism mounted on said body-housing conmounted on said housing; a conduit'cenducting air-fromsaidreservoirto-said gun barrel; a valve in said gun barrel controlling the admission of air thereto; manual means for opening said valve; and spring means for closing said valve.

2. A wheeled toy as described in claim 1 having'a handle extending rearwardly and upwardly fromsaid housing for pushing the latter; and a flexible member connected with said valve and extending upwardly along said handle within reach of the user thereof.

- 3. A wheeled toy comprising: a housing; a drive wheel; an idler wheel, said wheels supporting said housing; an air pump mounted in said housing; a crank rotated by said drive wheel;

a piston rod extending from said crank tosaid pump for actuating the latter; an air reservoir mounted in said housing; an air conduit communicating betweensaid pump cylinder andsaid reservoir; a check valve in said air conduit acting to prevent the return of air tosaid-pump cylinder; a hollow gun-supporting standardarising from said housing; a tubular gun barrel-supported by and in communication with the-hollow standard; means conducting air from said reservoir to said hollow standard; and valve means controlling the discharge of air from said hollow standard to said gun barrel.

4. A wheeled toy as described in claimS-having an open-ended cylindrical sleeve extending through the wall of said reservoir; a plunger slidably mounted in and closingsaid sleeve; a spring urging plunger against the-air underpressure in saidreservoir; and indicating means on said housing and means for transmitting movement from said plunger to saidindicating-means for causing the latter to indicate the pressure in said reservoir.

5. A wheeled toy as described in claim 4 having means for limiting the air pressure in said reservoir to predeterminedpressure comprising: a port formedin the wall of saidsleeve and communicating exteriorly of said reservoir and positioned to be uncovered by said plunger as the latter moves away from said reservoir against the action of said spring.

6. A wheeled toy as described in claim 5 having means operable from. the exterior of, said housing for varying the effective reaction of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent "'IUNITED STATES PATENTS 

